For centuries
the winter season, in the Northern Hemisphere, has been inaugurated
by the winter
solstice which occurs on or about December 21, and is the longest
night of the year. At this time the light of the sun is at its lowest
point on the
southern horizon. The light
available now must shine from deep within each of us. The outer
darkness allows us to focus on an inner spiritual journey that can
give rise to our own Divine Light.

Once
we come in contact with our personal darkness, accept it, and enlighten
it; we can experience a virgin birth of our inner sun. Now is the
time that the Light of Life must shine forth in a world of dark.
The period between the winter
solstice and the summer
solstice is known to be the soulic
time of the year because there is more spiritual light available
than physical light. The night
sky also reveals the truths of the many stars, which are otherwise
veiled by our closest one star, the sun. The inner work that is
done now will later manifest in the outer physical world as the
sun's light fully returns.[Night
Sky Winter
Solstice][ back
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Heart
of the Galaxy

At the time
of Christmas, from the position of the Earth, the sun in the constellation Sagittarius appears
to be moving through the great heart of our galaxy. It is in this heart
or glowing core of the galaxy where the greatest concentration of stars
~ and matter ~ exists. From this heart in the eastern sky issues humanity's
dawning enlightenment. The Christ is
also said to appear in the east with myriads of angels.

People unconsciously
respond to this energy with the need to gather in groups around the
hearth and share gifts and renew spiritual ties. Each year at this
time the Earth conjuncts the Dog or God star Sirius,
known as the Christ
star. "We have seen His Star in the east and have come to
worship Him." (Matthew 2:2)

With the sun conjunct
this heart area opposing both the Earth and Sirius, they are also therefore
in direct alignment with it. We celebrate Christmas at a time when
the Earth is celestially stimulated by the heart of our galaxy through
the sun, and directly by the Christ star, Sirius.[back
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Capricorn,
the Mountaintop

Christmas
occurs with the sun in the sign of Capricorn.
For ages Capricorn has been associated with two different energies:
that of the valley or hell, and that of the mountaintop ~ heaven. In
this sign, through struggle with darkness, the valley ~ our material
nature ~ can rise above itself and aspire to spiritual heights. Now
our materialistic side expresses itself through buying and getting
of things, and giving them out as gifts.

The
spiritual side expresses itself as we willfully aspire to the mountaintop
of human compassion and understanding. Receiving visions and insights there,
we will come down from our Capricorn mountain, and in Aquarius,
we give of our self in the new year. After bathing in the Heavenly Light,
we return to the world and give away its divine gifts. In the time of the
greatest darkness we can become the Light returning ~ the Lighted
Way. The sign Capricorn, being the lowest on the eastern horizon, represents
the depths or valley, while overhead stretches the glowing path of stars
in the Milky Way. This path leads to Monoceros ~ the Unicorn.
In the starry heights directly above us, we have pictured the valley and
the mountaintop experience all at once.[ back
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Three
Wise Men

On Christmas
eve, the Kings or Three Wise Men can be seen if one looks at the three
bright stars that make up Orion's belt. These beautiful white stars
form a straight line pointing to the nearby star of the Christ, Sirius.
The Three Wise Men also represent our three lower energy centers: the
will to be or survive, the creative generative center, and our emotional-desire
center. These centers, when dedicated to spiritual aspiration, become
as wise men: and give up or surrender themselves to the heart center
or the Christ energy.
They give the best of who they are. They embody the devotional energies
of these lower centers rising up to the heart.

The gifts
the three wise men offered are also symbolic. Gold represents the material
nature, consecrated to the service of God and humanity.
Frankincense symbolizes the emotional nature ~ its aspirations, wishes
and longings, and this aspiration must rise as incense to the feet
of God. Incense is also a symbol of purification,
of that burning which removes all dross and leaving only the essence
for the blessing of God.

Myrrh or
bitterness relates to the mind. It is through the mind that we suffer
as human beings. As we progresses, the more the mind develops, greater
is the capacity for suffering. Suffering seen in its true light , dedicated
to divinity, can be used as an instrument of approach nearer to God.
We can offer to God the rare and wonderful gift of a mind made wise
through pain, and a heart made kind through distress and difficulty
overcome.

As we study
the meaning of these three gifts brought by the disciples of old to
the infant Jesus, and as we see their meaning as it applies to our
individual situation, it becomes equally apparent that today humanity,
as a race, stands before the infant Jesus at the end of a long journey,
and can now offer, if it so will, the gifts of material life, of purification
through the fires of adversity, and of the suffering to which it has
been subjected.[ back to top ]

Santa
Claus, Auriga

Exactly
overhead on Christmas night we find the constellation Auriga.
It represents Hephaestos, fashioner and bearer of gifts for the
Gods, who is riding a chariot ~ a sleigh ... pulled by four horses
~ reindeer ~ and appears as if he were flying out of the celestial
North Pole! This Santa has a she-goat and two lambs nestled in
his arms and seems to be lovingly nurturing them. The four horses
drawing this sleigh are those of the apocalypse, and are bringers
of retribution or blessing.
"You better watch out. You better not cry. You better not pout. I'm
telling you why. Santa Claus ~ Auriga ~ is coming to town! He's making
a list and checking it twice; gonna find out whos naughty or
nice. Santa Claus is coming to town!" It's all about whether you've
been good or bad: Auriga ~ Santa Claus ~ is bringing something for
you, And it will be exactly what you deserve, whether sticks or coal,
or the perfect gift you've always wanted! See
Santa? ... Look
[ back
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As our sun
moves through the galaxy, it interacts with the hydrogen cloud
of gas, dust, and material that is in front of it. The sun, with
planets in tow and its magnetic fields pressing up against the cloud,
moves through and interacts with it. As a result the field in front
of the sun becomes flattened, depressed and shortened.

The
hydrogen cloud in turn flows around the sides of the sun along its
magnetic field toward the solar tail, and then is carried into the
interstellar medium. During this cloud and sun interaction, some of
the hydrogen is broken down and combined to form helium and other elements.
Some of the helium finds its way into the tail that extends behind
the sun as the sun continues on its path through the heavens.

This cone-shaped
tail of helium reflects light along its length because it is composed
of gas and dust spread out in the vacuum of space. This light is seen
as a spike or spear of light which we call the zodiacal light, and
is seen in the springtime right after the sun sets in the west, or
in autumn in the east just before daybreak. We are able to see this
heavenly light show during these seasons because the Earth is positioned
at the sides of the sun, rather than in the front, therefore allowing
the view of the cone.

At the winter
solstice, the Earth enters the solar tail; here we are unable to see
the zodiacal light as we are in the helium cone part of the tail, totally
surrounded by it. The amount of helium cone produced is dependent on
how active the sun is and how thick the hydrogen cloud is in front
of the sun. At Christmas, the cone extends well beyond the orbit of
the Earth; perhaps our many religious
and joyous celebrations at this time are related to the lightness
and openness of helium, which is enveloping us as our Earth passes
through it.[ back
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Vega
New Year

A little
after Christmas, but still within in its influence, the sun conjuncts
the brilliant star Vega in the constellation Lyra,
the harp.

Singing
holiday songs, and Christmas carols, as well as the desire for harmony
and good will, are expressions of Lyra energy. Making New Year's resolutions
is associated with the Vega star.

Traditionally
this star is known as the cosmic or royal judge, and the judge of the
heavens. When the sun conjuncts this place in the sky, we make judgments
about ourselves and our lives. Out of these judgments we begin to make
resolutions about our future. Completing its rotational cycle around
the sun, planet Earth too is ready to begin anew.[ back
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The
Unicorn, Monoceros

The unicorn
is a fabulous animal whose spinal cord is presumed to extend beyond
the medulla oblongata, through the pituitary gland and out between
the eyes, after which it becomes hardened into a horn. The horn, emerging
from the brain, indicates expression of the creative power, for the
unicorn or horned horse is a symbol for the sublimated creative force
in humanity.

In this
sense the unicorn (a person's conjoined mind, emotion, vitality and
physical body) is willing to serve. The horned animal (controlled personality)
is to be trusted, it is also mighty in strength. The owner can believe
in this unicorn / controlled personality, knowing it will "bring
home the seed (the procreative power) and gather
it into the barn" (the brain and the soul body).

The candidate
for initiation must tame the previously wild donkey, so that thereafter,
as a docile quaternary,
it may bear the threefold personality onward to its goal, just as the
ass bore the Holy Family and the Christ in triumph out of Egypt (the
sanctuary of the greater mysteries) to Jerusalem (a higher state of
consciousness).

The human
quaternary presently finds its vestigial horn reappearing at the surface
of the forehead, not as hardened tissue but as whirling creative fire.
And as a symbol, the white and gleaming unicorn again roams the mountain
sides. The Cyclopes are here on earth again, but no longer one-eyed.
Rather they are endowed with three organs of vision, two physical and
one super-physical. They are partly represented by the men and women
of today who are already possessed of these intuitional faculties,
which will be natural to later races.

Monoceros
lies in the Milky Way, separating Orion's two dogs Canis Major
and Canis Minor. Since it contains no prominent, named
stars, it
is not shown on many star maps. [ 1 ]

In winter we set goals for ourselves ~ New Year's resolutions. Deep within, we create a new seed. Coming out of the darkness into the light of spring, we stop talking and start acting. In the springtime we firmly plant and nourish this seed. We develop an environment in which our goals can actualize.

In summer we find time to relax and shine the light of who we are. There's some nurturing, yet mostly an allowing to just be. In autumn comes our harvest. We reflect to see if we've achieved our goals and begin anew to reflect inward. Again in the winter, we decide what worked and didn't. We go deeper within, make new goals and create new seeds for the grand cycle ahead..[ back
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